Funnel having movable valve assembly

ABSTRACT

A funnel having a stopper valve member for delivering a flowable material to a vessel. The funnel has an upper open bowl and a lower delivery tube having a fluid outlet. The valve member is arranged to move from an upper position inserted into the fluid outlet for stopping flow through said funnel to a position out of the tube outlet to permit generally unimpeded flow. Curved shoulders are provided within the bowl to induce a vortex flow on the material received by the funnel. The stopper valve is mounted on a resiliently mounted rod capable of being manually flexed downward and upward to move the stopper valve.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates in general to funnels and more particularly, to a funnel having means of enhancing flow and a moveable valve assembly for allowing and stopping the flow of material through the funnel

2. Summary of the Prior Art

Funnels have long been used as an aid in pouring a liquid or particulate material from one vessel to another in order to minimize spillage. As is well known, it is difficult to control the flow through a funnel because a precise amount is not readily controllable or overflowing of the recipient container occurs. For theses reasons, it is desirable in the prior art to provide an improved funnel by allowing the flow of material through the funnel to be easily maintained and enhanced, and quickly stopped after the desired amount has been delivered.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an objective of this invention to provide an improved stopper valve that is moveable between two positions respectfully, at which the flow of material can be maintained through the funnel and at which such flow can be stopped. At positions between the foregoing upper and lower positions, the stopper valve can control flow. The stopper valve provides for an optimum delivery of material, such as a liquid or a particulate material, to control the volume, the quality, and the rate of flow being poured. The interior bowl of the funnel includes a plurality of downwardly extending curved shoulders to induce a swirling or whirlwind effect on the material being passed through to accelerate and increase the rate of flow and the effectiveness of delivery. The funnel has an exterior formed with overlapping protruding steps or ridges providing an air flow back out of the receiving vessel and attaining a more continuous flow through the funnel. The stopper valve is mounted at the bottom funnel outlet and is moveable to stop flow, permit free flow or regulate the rate of flow. A rod securing the valve at its lower end is mounted on the upper bowl of the funnel by a resilient member having a plurality of arms. The arms may be flexed between an upper and lower position to move the rod and hence the stopper valve.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of the funnel of the invention inserted into a receiving vessel;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view, with parts in section, of the funnel of the invention having a seated valve;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the funnel of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a front elevational view, with parts in section, of the funnel of FIG. 2 showing the valve element being unseated at a fully opened position to permit flow through funnel.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to the figures, there is illustrated the funnel having a valve assembly and flow control of the invention, generally designated by reference numeral 2. The funnel 2 includes an upper material receiving bowl 4 having an open top 3 and a body creating a interior chamber 3 a having a modified circular cross-section that progressively decreases in diameter in a downward direction. An outlet port 6 is formed on the bottom portion 8 of bowl 4 to which a downwardly extending delivery tube 10 is integrally attached in fluid communication. The bowl 4 and tube 10 can be formed from a plastic and the like by a molding or other process. The funnel 2 is intended to receive flowable materials such as fluids or particulate materials poured into the open receiving bowl 4 and deliver the received contents through lower tube 10 into a vessel (not shown)

The bowl includes an interior surface 12 on which a plurality of downward extending curved shoulders 14 are provided in a symmetrical arrangement extending downward from the open top of the bowl to the bowl outlet port 6. Although six shoulders are shown symmetrically arranged, it is within the scope of the invention to use other number of shoulders when it is desired to change flow conditions through the funnel. The shoulders 14 are shaped so to act as vanes to induce a whirlwind or vortex flow of the material being poured into the bowl to create a downward pressure that accelerates flow through the funnel. The exterior of bowl 2 has exterior curved shoulders 20 generally corresponding to the interior shoulders 14 and extend downward the external raised ribs 22 on tube 10. The ribs 22 create flow passages on the outside of tube 10 when inserted into a receiving vessel (not shown) to provide a constant airflow back out of the vessel by which the flow of the material being poured through the funnel 2 is enhanced. In FIG. 1 the funnel 2 is shown being stored upright in a separate base holder 2′ from which the funnel can be manually removed or mounted as desired. The tube 10 being integrally formed on the bottom of bowl 4 is in fluid communication with central outlet or port 8 a in the bottom portion of the bowl 4. The tube 10 has an inverted frusto-conical configuration creating a fluid conduit from bowl 4 to a tube outlet 10 a.

The funnel 2 is provided with a valve assembly 30 having a lower stopper valve 32 in the form of a fluid control device. The stopper valve 32 is mounted on an elongated rod 34 that extends downwardly from the top of bowl 4 through tube 10. The rod 34 is mounted to a resilient member 36 affixed to holes 38 on top of bowl 4. The resilient member 36 includes three outwardly extending arms 40 which are in the form of partially rigid resilient straps capable of being manually flexed downwardly and upwardly. The arms 40 are respectively attached to holes 38 that are provided at upper portions of bowl 4 in a symmetrical arrangement. Although three arms are shown herein, other number of arms can be used if suitable. The ends of arms 40 extend through respective holes 38 and include an enlarged end in the shape of ring 40′ that can used as hangers when the funnel not in use. The outer end portions further include opposed notched areas 40 a on their edge portions that interfit with edges of holes 38 to secure each of the arms 40 to the bowl 4. A central resilient hub portion 42 of the resilient member 36 secures the rod 34 by means of a handle 44 attached to hole 46 of central portion 42. The handle 44 not only attaches to the top end of rod 34, but is used to manually move the rod 34 up and down. The resilient memory of the resilient member 36 is selected so that the rod 34 will maintain in fixed position in the upper position as shown in FIG. 1 and the lower position shown in FIG. 3 in absence of a manual force on rod 34.

Stopper valve 32 is fabricated from a silicone rubber or alternatively from other suitable plastic materials and is permanently affixed to the lower end of rod 34. The stopper valve 32 is formed with upper frusto-conical section 52 and creates an enlarged continuous peripheral section 56. In the upper position of the rod 34, the valve 50 seats in the lower opening 10 a of tube 10 to stop all flow through the funnel being delivered to a vessel to control the amount of material in the vessel or prevent overflow. In the lower position, the valve 50 is situated below tube opening 10 a to permit unimpeded flow through the funnel. The handle 44 can be manipulated to move the rod to positions between the upper position and the lower position. In such in-between positions, the rate of flow can be controlled by virtue of the spacing of the surface of the frusto-conical portion 52 and the tube outlet 10 a. It is within the scope of the invention herein to vary the shape of the stopper valve 32 as needed for selected flow control characteristics at the tube outlet 10 a. 

1. A funnel assembly having a fluid control device for delivering flowable materials to a vessel comprising an upper open bowl having an interior chamber for receiving flowable materials and lower outlet port, a lower delivery tube affixed to said bowl in fluid communication with said outlet port, said lower delivery tube having a lower fluid outlet, a valve assembly having a valve member being mounted for movement in and out of said lower tube through said lower fluid outlet, said valve member being moveable between an upper position for stopping flow through said fluid outlet and a lower position for generally permitting unrestricted flow through flow through said lower fluid outlet.
 2. The funnel according to claim 1 wherein said valve assembly includes a rod extending from said bowl downwardly into said lower tube terminating with an end portion positioned adjacent said lower outlet, said valve member being mounted on said end portion of said rod adjacent said lower position, said rod acting to move said valve member between said upper and lower position.
 3. The funnel according to claim 2 wherein said rod is resiliently supported by said bowl.
 4. The funnel according to claim 3 wherein said valve assembly includes a flexible member affixed to said bowl and to said rod.
 5. The funnel according to claim 4 wherein said flexible member includes a flexible center core and at least one flexible arm attached to said bowl and said central core, said at least one arm and said core being capable of manually flexed to move said rod.
 6. The funnel according to claim 5 wherein said flexible member includes a plurality of flexible arms affixed to said bowl and center core, said flexible member having resilient memory to maintain the rod in fixed position at said first and second position of the valve assembly in absence of a manual force being applied to said rod.
 7. The funnel according to claim 5 wherein said valve assembly includes a handle affixed to said rod and said flexible member for manually moving said rod in an upward and downward direction.
 8. The funnel according to claim 5 wherein said plurality of arms extend through holes provide on said bowl, said arms having rings protruding exteriorly of said bowl for hanging the funnel when not in use.
 9. The funnel according to claim 1 wherein said valve member is formed with a external configuration to control the rate of flow through said fluid outlet at positions of said valve member between said upper position and said lower position.
 10. The funnel according to claim 9 wherein said external configuration is a frusto-conical shape.
 11. The funnel according to claim 9 where said chamber of said bowl includes a plurality of curved shoulders to induce a vortex flow on the flowable material received in said chamber of said bowl.
 12. The funnel according to claim 11 wherein said lower tube includes spaced exterior ribs to permit flow from the vessel while flowable material is being delivered to the vessel.
 13. A funnel assembly having a fluid control device for delivering a flowable material to a vessel comprising an upper open bowl having an interior chamber for receiving flowable materials and a lower outlet port, a lower delivery tube affixed to said bowl in fluid communication with said outlet port, said lower delivery tube having a lower fluid outlet, a valve assembly having a valve member being mounted for movement in and out of said lower tube through said lower fluid outlet, said valve member being moveable between an upper position for stopping flow through said fluid outlet and a lower position for generally permitting unrestricted flow through flow through said lower fluid outlet, and said chamber of said bowl includes a plurality of curved shoulders to induce a vortex flow on the flowable material received in said chamber of said bowl.
 14. The funnel according to claim 13 wherein said shoulders are symmetrically arranged in said bowl.
 15. The funnel according to claim 14 wherein said shoulders extend from the top of said bowl to the outlet port of said bowl.
 16. The funnel according to claim 14 wherein said tubes have vertical external ribs. 